ADDRESSING GENDER BIAS IN A MILITARY ORGANIZATION
Gender bias is a common problem in the workplace venues in the United States. The phenomenon affects both women and men; however, effects tend to (a) vary by gender and (b) be more problematic for women. In organizational environments, many inequitable outcomes are associated with gender bias, including discriminatory actions in relation to selection, promotion, compensation, recognition, discipline, and so forth. Further, gender bias can foster workplace environments and organizational cultures wherein sexual harassment and abuse may occur.
The setting of the investigation of the issue of gender bias in this action research project is the Command Center of III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF). The Command Center is a critical function that is directly related to force readiness. Command Center staff performs critical functions, including the following:
Monitoring communications and conducting communications tasks
Monitoring every room in Headquarters to assure that all classified materials are secure and that no unauthorized people are in the building
Command Center, III MEF has in place The Standing Operating Procedures that are consistent with Department of Defense policies and regulations, which both promote gender equality and prohibit gender bias and discrimination. A Standing Operating Procedures (SOP), however, reflects the official rules of the organization, as opposed to the unofficial conditions that prevail in the actual conduct of the organization's operations. In the unofficial context of Command Center operations, gender bias (both conscious and unconscious) among senior personnel create a gender unfriendly working environment and a gender unfriendly organizational culture, each of which fosters detrimental outcomes for female members of the Command Center staff. As a consequence, female members of the Command Center staff have experienced and conti...